700-year-old Hindu temple encroached and demolished by Muslim land mafia in Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India 
22 February, 2023
Case Summary
In the Jamalpur area of Ahmedabad, there was a deliberate attempt at taking over the land of the historic 700-year-old Trikamji Mandir by a group of Muslim men. The case centres around a deliberate attempt by some Muslim men who are part of a land mafia network to illegally acquire temple land through forged documents and fraudulent transactions. The police have arrested Mohammed Bilal, a builder and son of the notorious gangster Hanif Dadhi, along with Zeeshan Zahid Hussain Kadri and five others: Mohammad Asgar Abdul Hamid Pathan, Nizamuddin Abdul Rehman Sheikh, Rohan Imtiyaz Ahmed Qadri, Saddam Hussein Salimbhai Qureshi, and Babu Bhai Dahyabhai Shah. According to the complaint, the accused fabricated false documents to illegally claim ownership of the temple land. This was in blatant violation of a Gujarat High Court ruling in 2012 that had declared the land non-transferable. The roots of the case go back to 1999 when the temple land was sold to Babubhai Shah on behalf of the Sahal Owners Association by Shivramdasji Vaishnav and Mahant Siyaramdas, without obtaining mandatory permission from the Charity Commissioner. The Charity Commissioner, being the owner of temple land at that time, challenged the sale deed in court. The sale was later declared void by both a lower court and then by the Gujarat High Court. Despite this, the Sahel Owners Association, represented by some of the accused, continued to forge documents and attempted to transfer the land to builder Mohammad Bilal and his associates. The case has drawn significant public attention due to the religious and historical importance of the temple. The 700-year-old ancient Trikam Raiji temple (Lord Vishnu) was demolished by Jamalpur builder Bilal Sheikh in collusion with AMC and other departments. Currently, the temple has been razed to the ground, and an office has been set up there. Police have registered the case under various sections related to cheating, forgery, use of forged documents, and criminal conspiracy. As of the date of writing this report, all the accused were arrested while the investigation was ongoing, with authorities indicating that further arrests would be made.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category of: - Attack on Hindu religious representation. Within it, the sub-category selected is: Encroachment or illicit takeover of temple land/land near temple. In Hinduism, a temple is the abode of the Deity. The Deity in the Temple is consecrated, thereby, making it a real, breathing entity. Hindus believe that not just the Deity but the temple premises itself are sacred to Hindus since Hindus hold the faith that the entire Temple space is an amalgamation of the divine energy of the deity. Not only the Temple but the Temple premises in its entirety are considered sacred by Hindus. In several cases, the premises of the Temple and/or religious centre are illicitly taken over by institutions belonging to other faiths – like the Waqf board or the Church. Other times, the temple property, land or the property of religious centres are illicitly encroached by non-Hindu groups. Any illicit take over or encroachment is a crime an initio, however, when non-Hindu groups illicitly take over or encroach the sacred land of Hindus, it is an affront to the Hindu community and is therefore classified as a religiously motivated hate crime under this category. The other sub-category relevant here is: Attack on temples. In Hinduism, a temple is the abode of the Deity. The Deity in the Temple is consecrated, thereby, making it a real, breathing entity. Hindus believe that not just the Deity but the temple premises itself are sacred to Hindus since Hindus hold the faith that the entire Temple space is an amalgamation of the divine energy of the deity. Given the central significance of Temples in Hindu Dharma, any attack against a Hindu Temple or its peripheral premises is an attack on the faith itself and is born out of animosity towards the faith, of which, the Temple is a central tenet. Any manner of attack against a Temple and/or its premises would therefore be considered a religiously motivated hate crime. This case has been added to the tracker due to the deliberate and organised attempt by a group of Muslim men, along with the Sahel Owners Association and the land mafia, to illicitly take over the land of the Trikamji Mandir. It is important to note here that this incident occurred in Jamalpur, a Muslim-majority area of Ahmedabad. This pattern has been witnessed time and time again, where Muslims often do not tolerate or respect the religious beliefs or religious practices of other faiths, especially in a Muslim majority neighbourhood. Therefore, this consistent and deliberate attempt at forging documents and illicitly taking over temple land should be understood within this broader framework of religious hostility towards the Hindu faith. It was not just a case of land fraud, instead, it was rooted in religious animosity and was a targeted move against a sacred Hindu space. Notably, after attempting the illegal acquisition of the land, the perpetrators also demolished the temple structure itself—an act that underscores not just a land dispute, but a targeted assault on a place of worship. In Hinduism, temples hold profound spiritual significance as sacred spaces devoted to the worship of deities. They serve as vital centres for performing rituals, offering prayers, and fostering a deep connection between devotees and the divine. This act of demolition of a Hindu Temple further demonstrates the deep-seated religious animosity and bigotry directed at the Hindu faith, making it a clear instance of a religiously motivated hate crime. Disclaimer: Since the temple land was illegally encroached upon and sold on February 23, 2023, and the demolition of the Trikamji Temple followed this transaction, we are recording February 23, 2023, as the date of the incident. The Hinduphobia Tracker logs incidents based on when they occurred, not when they were reported.
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 5 to 10
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
